GHANAIAN DOCTORS WITH BORDERS AND THE BRAIN DRAIN

Search Ghana
Ghana had about 1,600 doctors in 2004 as it did in 1969!!!
The general perception is that this is as a result of brain-drain to more advanced countries and those other places where they are better appreciated. In your own opinion, what can we do to help Ghana keep vital personnel in Ghana?

Here’s my comment:

Christopher Scott: Ironical that people in the diaspora use poor health care systems in their homelands as one of their many reasons for not returning. Is it not the case that there are more Ghanaian doctors in the city of New York alone than there is in all of Ghana?

I know, I know! I didn’t address how to keep vital personnel in Ghana. I just think more is involved than just trying to keep doctors here. I believe much more effort must be made in facilitating the return of more doctors abroad, who I call doctorswith borders. Those doctors abroad more than likely are working in environments that demand higher levels of expertise and accountability. Together with those doctors present in the system, the Ghana Health Service would probably improve immensely. How in heaven’s name can all those health related millennium development goals be reached without an adequate number of highly trained health personnel. With a return of diasporan doctors surely there would be an improvement on such stats as one in 16 women in sub-Saharan Africa dies in childbirth. One in 13 babies … within a week.
Check out the other comments on the issue on the Search Ghana facebook page and comment.

DOCTORS! Two of my biological brothers in USA are “Doctors” :A food scientist, and a library scientist (they are not Doctors who “give injections”). My nephew is a medical Doctor in USA. I KNOW of 7 Medical Doctors in their 50’s from Ejisu living in USA. They are not coming to Ghana to work…..forget it! Oh, they will be visiting home frequently when they go on pension! We need them in their youthful ages. The Korle- Bu Junior Doctors are yet to be accommodated. Let us maintain the Doctors we have in Ghana, and leave the ones outside in peace. Conditions at “home” will break them into pieces!
KUDOS to our Doctors in Ghana! They are great.

That is shocking news that Ghana has the same amount of doctors now as in 1969! My husband is from Ghana and I want to help there all I can! I appreciate this education I am getting from your emails! Please keep them coming! I plan on going to Ghana is 2 years time and working there! Maybe I can be of help there in some way! I have a business degree from Whitworth University and hope to be able to use it in Ghana!

There’s a new show on Ghana TV. It seems like a lot of staions are picking it up. It’s called something like Maternal and Child Health Network. The show last Thursday was about child health and much of the reporting took place at the health facility at Salaga.
One of the health professionals said that there was an inordinant number of doctors in Accra. So the brain drain from Ghana is not only to overseas, it’s to Accra…Accra is a country. There’s a post on this blog titled ACCRA IS A COUNTRY.

AKWAABA/WELCOME:
This blog is my effort at internet activism. It's intent is to create awareness about the realities that impact lives in this struggling, confused democracy trying desperately to take its place in the global community.